Page 37 - Leonard Tebbenham

th
Monday 15 October 1945
c/o Meteorological Office,

AHQ West Africa,

Accra,

Gold Coast,
West Africa

My dearest Blodwen,

Today has been really hot and sticky. This morning Charlie and I went to the office and this
afternoon we went to Accra town to get a leather holdall (£3.10.0) and a 5lbs box of best coconut
oil soap (12 tablets 5/-). I shall send the soap home to you by sea, which may take several
months. The rule for us here is 5lbs max by sea, 3lbs max by air, but kit can be sent by sea up to
2cwt at a time. I cannot send a holdall or I would. I have bought you a Christmas present because
it takes a long time to send a parcel. It is a native made crocodile handbag, very special, the best
obtainable out here. The skin is called ‘belly croc’! We are allowed a duty free label value £2 each
month. Then anything inside a parcel containing a label is not charged duty in England. Let me
know when you get the parcels dearest.

My posting came through today and I will fly to Maiduguri sometime this week. I will take over
there and be the lone Met man on a station which I am told has less than 100 bods. Charlie stays
here and Patch and Trit go to the malaria place at Yundum (Bathurst, Gambia). Apparently a
change of posting half way through a tour is the usual thing. There seems to be an excellent
chance of getting a Flight Lieutenant in some three months.

We are waited on hand and foot by a black boy called Martin. All black boys call Europeans
‘Master’. The boys wash vest, pants, shirt and socks each day and get them ironed by midday. It
is no good airing things here as they never get really dry. The food is good; oranges and bananas
each meal and ordinary home-type food as well. We drink large quantities of orange squash with
each meal. We find we are speaking pidgin English by talking to the boys (boys are blackies
whatever their ages). I will tell you in another letter some of the phrases used (e.g. ‘plenty plenty’
etc.). The temp here rose to 88° today and about 95% humid, up till today we have had 74° at
100% all the time.

You will find that my allowances for Sept will have been paid in at the beginning of Oct, and
st
Octobers will be paid to our account on 1 Nov.
God bless dearest. Your loving husband, Len xxxx